In my May 20 posting, The Leader or The System, I referenced a Fortune magazine cover story on Apple, which gave some insight into how the place works. Now Adam Lashinsky has written Inside Apple, and given us the answers we feared: despite its unparalleled success and impact, there is not a lot about how the place operates that you might select for your own organization. I recommend that you read Bob Sutton's blog for great insight into the book, but especially what Lashinsky's findings tell us about organizations.
Give AAPL credit for making it work, but don't hope to be successful by copying their environment.